Piper was running out of steam, but
she could tell her tirade had stunned them. Well, good. She
shouldn’t be the only one who was walking around in a state of
shock. These men needed a wake-up call, and hopefully this would at
the very least, get a straight answer from someone.
““
She doesna sound
Scottish, are you sure she is daughter to the Grants?”
“
Aye, father, she’s the
one.” Caelen sounded amused.
“
She speaks so strangely.
Did you understand what she was nattering on about?”
“
She
is right here,” Piper interrupted, “You don’t need to speak
as if I’m not in the room.”
“
She is rather excitable,
is she no’?” The laird scratched his beard, still staring at Piper
as if she were about to sprout a second head.
“
She
is done with this conversation,” Piper threw up her hands and
stomped out of the room, only to turn around and stomp right back
in. “No, I take it back, I’m not done. I need to know what is so
important you felt it necessary to send a man you’ve said you
consider a son to you forward in time to come and drag me back
here.
What the hell am I doing
here?”
A very long, drawn-out pause had Piper
holding her breath until the laird finally spoke. “A fortnight ago,
Grissall came to me and said that if I wanted my clan to regain our
former prosperity, I needed to make an alliance with a more
powerful clan. This is nothing I didna already ken, but when I
dismissed her, she mentioned the Grant lass. That caught my
attention as we all ken there is no Grant lass. The Grant laird had
naught but one son, and he is missing, if he’s alive at
all.”
Piper couldn’t help the sound that
escaped her throat, somewhere between a gasp and a moan at the
thought of having found out she had a brother only to have him torn
from her reach.
“
There is talk that the
missing heir rides in Donald Grant’s closest, most trusted guard,
and Grant himself doesna ken who he is. The rumors are that the
Grant heir plans to infiltrate the clan from the inside out. It
seems to be working, if ‘tis true. He hasna come forward yet, my
guess being that he is biding his time, waiting for more men to
align with him. Ousting a chief is a bloody and messy business.
It’s no’ easy, and he’ll need allies. ”
Piper once more felt elation at having
the possibility of a brother within her grasp. But before she could
ask for more information, the MacRobert continued his
explanation.
“
Lass, I doona ken if he
is truly your brother or no’, but if he is, we’ll find out. The
fact that you exist, that Grissall was right, worries me. If you
exist, then the tale of your parents sending you to another time, a
time so far distant from our own means that the threat to them, and
to you, is far greater than I’d thought.”
Piper had to clear her throat before
she could speak. “What threat could be so great that my parents had
to send me to the future?”
“
That, my dear lassie, is
the question. I have an idea, but I’m no’ certain. If Donald had
been planning to murder your father when you were just a babe, and
he found out, it explains why he would send you and your brother
away, but it doesna explain why he would send you to another time.
Why no’ just to another relative or friends? Why are you so
important?”
“
Gee, thanks,” muttered
Piper, but she didn’t have much heat behind the words since she was
wondering the same thing. It made sense to keep her brother nearby
where he could learn the ways and blend in, but why send Piper so
far away?
Colm finally spoke, “I think we need
to speak with Grissall.” With his arms crossed, he looked so
intimidating. Piper was grateful to have him on her side, and
rather pleased that he was so upset on her behalf. She was so busy
admiring his battle-fierce pose, and his biceps, that she almost
missed what the MacRobert said.
“
Aye, and I spoke to
Father Douglass about marrying you and the lassie on
Sunday.”
“
What?!” Piper’s screech
was heard across the manor.
* * * *
Piper had stalked to her room in
silent fury, with Colm keeping pace. The instant the door was shut,
though, she rounded on him. “You are such a liar, God, I’m stupid.
I thought you might actually want me, I should have known better.
You brought me back to marry you, for what? To cement a claim on my
family’s lands?” She noticed that she’d just admitted to having
lands. She’d file that away to evaluate later.
Colm opened his mouth to
respond, but Piper wouldn’t let him, instead barreling on, “Tell me
the truth, did you even want me, or is this just for your laird?
Is
this
why you
brought me here?” She was under no illusion that Colm wanting to
marry her meant anything more than an alliance with her family
name. Piper may have barely passed high school, but she was an avid
reader, and she wasn’t stupid. She knew that in this time marriage
was a business arrangement. What a fool she’d been for thinking he
wanted her for her, for who she was inside. What would it take for
someone to just want her as is?
He gripped the back of her neck,
bringing her closer to him. “Aye, lass, I went for you on my
laird’s orders, but doona mistake that I brought you back with me
because I want you in my bed,” he growled. “I brought you back with
me, so that I could walk amongst my men and they would ken that
‘twould be me between those long legs of yours every night. I
brought you back because I damn well canna live without you in my
life. I brought you back so I could fuck you every single night for
the rest of your life.”
He was breathing hard, his chest
heaving with each breath, and Piper was shocked to find that she
was breathing hard too. God, he was sexy when he was all growly and
possessive. As much as he wanted her, she wanted him right back.
She felt she’d known him much longer than the few days it really
had been, and she couldn’t help herself, but she needed him to say
that he wanted her. Piper had been ready to tell him she’d stay
here and give it a go before they’d been interrupted. Nothing had
changed that, and Piper knew she was just angry. Hurt pride didn’t
change that she still wanted Colm. Whether she stayed or not, she
cared for him, and she could see he had feelings for her. The
question was, how strong were they?
Her anger didn’t drain out of her when
his lips met hers, but instead it fueled the fires that had started
back at the Highland Games. His mouth was rough, his tongue
demanding, but no more demanding than Piper’s. They battled for
supremacy in the kiss, dueling and warring, until Colm pulled back.
He looked at her flushed face, her bright eyes, and pressed his
lips lightly to the corner of her mouth. When Piper tried to deepen
the kiss, he moved to her cheek, to her temple, brushing his lips
against the corner of her eye before pressing them to hers once
more. Again, Piper opened her mouth beneath his, and Colm drifted
to her neck, nibbling and licking her jaw line.
His lips found hers again, and Piper
stilled beneath his kiss, allowing him to lead, allowing him to
take her with him, but not admitting defeat. She waited until he
nudged her lips apart before tangling her tongue with his. Twining
her arms behind his neck, she pressed up to her tiptoes and meshed
their mouths together. His hips ground against hers, and she sucked
his tongue into her mouth. She finally broke Colm’s urge to slow
things down, because within seconds, she was on her back in the
middle of the big bed. Colm stripped off his shirt and plaid,
holding her gaze the whole time, daring her to look away. She did,
but only to ogle his body. She’d been right before, this man had
the body of a sex god. And Piper planned on worshipping his body in
every way she knew how.
Colm stopped, his hands on her laces,
a question in his eyes.
“
I’m not scared
anymore.”
Colm had her out of the gown and
frilly things faster than she thought possible. With a sigh, their
bodies came together, skin on skin, and Colm pressed his lips to
Piper’s once more, very gently.
“
I want you Piper, make no
mistake, lass. But I’ll no’ have you unsure of me.” His voice was
deep, gravelly, the passion between them burning hot and
high.
Piper gripped his cock and purred,
“Oh, I’m not unsure about your feelings. Not at all.”
Colm’s hand gripped hers to stop its
rhythmic motion as he gritted out, “I doona want to marry you for
your name or your lands Piper. ‘Tis you. I want you.”
“
Oh,” she breathed against
his lips, and she melted just a bit at his declaration.
Her hips shifted against his erection
as she kissed him, and Colm’s hand found her small strip of hair.
His fingers teased her lips, sliding along the slit until she was
arching into his touch. Finally he slid a finger inside her,
pressing up, then sliding out. He spread her cream along her clit
and rubbed in slow circles. She was panting and moaning when his
lips descended on her nipple. He rubbed his cheek against her tight
nipple, the rasp of his stubble sending conflicting sensations to
her body. She couldn’t focus on anything but his smooth, slow
circles, until she came.
The second Piper called his name, Colm
was inside her, stretching her, pressing the blunt head of his cock
up and into her. It had been so long for Piper, and never this
good. Her body was still clenching when he pressed fully inside.
But he was slow, so achingly slow, and Piper wanted it hard and
fast. Her body needed more, and the incredible fullness of Colm was
unlike anything she’d ever felt.
Still he took his time, pulling out
almost to the tip, and sliding back in. After an eternity of slow
strokes, Piper bit his neck and Colm’s control broke. He lifted her
hips up and slammed home over and over again until the build-up was
too much for Piper and she cried out again, but this time Colm was
right behind her, shouting his release to the rafters.
Piper lay sprawled across Colm, idly
raking her fingers through the sprinkling of hair across his chest,
wondering if she believed him. She wanted him, no doubt, and she
knew he wanted her, but did he really understand what he wanted
from this marriage? She knew that this would be it for her. No man
had ever made her heart beat the way he did. It sped up when he was
near, it thumped when he touched her, and even right now it felt as
if her heart had picked up his rhythm.
“
I think our hearts are
beating in the same rhythm. Weird.”
Colm pulled her up to brush a kiss
against her temple, “Ahh, Piper love, ‘tis fate.”
Piper leaned up on an elbow so she
could look him in the eye. “Do you really believe that? That we’re
meant to be?”
“
Aye, love, I do. I did
the unthinkable and stole my woman from a far off time. I didna
think that ‘twas possible, yet I traveled time to find you. If
that’s no’ fate, then I doona ken what type of sign you’d be
lookin’ for?”
“
I guess I don’t feel
comfortable thinking that something outside my own power is toying
with me. Don’t you feel like believing in fate means believing that
someone is moving us about, plotting our lives, as if we were mere
pawns on the chess board?”
Colm didn’t answer immediately, but
when he did, he was very sure of himself. “Nay, Piper. I feel that
if you had stayed in our time, grown up here, someone would have
killed you and taken your lands long ago. Or if no’ that, then
mayhap you’d have been married off at a young age. Do you see that
we’d have never met? I’d nae have seen you smile, I’d nae have seen
your eyes flash when you’re angry with me, and I’d nae have held
you as you come undone. Piper, you were meant for me, and I for
you. Fate just helped that along.”
When Colm spoke, he sounded so
certain. It made Piper want to believe, and to stay.
A knocking at the door, followed by
Caelen’s voice, “Colm. It’s time.”
“
Time for what?” Piper
asked, pressing up to her elbow.
“
Caelen and I are going to
meet with one of Donald Grant’s men. We hope he has information
about your family.” Colm sat up, swinging his legs off the bed,
gloriously nude.
“
I’m coming,
too.”
Colm pressed her back into the
mattress. “Piper, you canna come.”
She tried to toss her head, and
huffed, “Of course I can. Just take me with you.”
“
Piper, can you ride a
horse?”
She blew out a breath. “No.” Colm
started to stand up again. “But can’t you just put me in front of
you on the saddle, or something?”
Colm turned around, “Piper, even if
you could ride, I may have need of my sword this eve.”
“
Oh, you mean you might
have to fight?”
Colm shrugged a shoulder.
“
But why are you going if
you think you’ll have to fight?”
“
We need to speak with
Donald’s man. If it’s a trap, Caelen and I will no’ go
alone.”
“
Good, if you’re not going
alone, you can take me with you.”
“
Piper,” Colm
started.
Ignoring the warning in
his voice, Piper continued, “Colm, I need to see if I have a
brother. I need to hear this man tell me I have a brother. I
need
this.”